The Drag Associated With Jet Lag Without Warning, Travelers May Land In A Twilight Zone

March 27, 1988|By Judy Williamson, Dallas Morning News

The trans-Atlantic business traveler who tells of being unable to concentrate at business meetings on foreign soil has something in common with a U.S. statesman who attributed a failed diplomatic meeting to jet lag.

The statesman was former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles who flew to Egypt in the 1950s to negotiate a treaty concerning construction of the Aswan Dam. The negotiations took place on the heels of his arrival, catching him at less than his best. Dulles believed this was an important factor in losing the project to the Soviet Union.

Not all overseas ventures will carry the international importance of the Aswan Dam talks. But all overseas travelers -- business and pleasure -- can improve productivity and enjoyment if they are aware of the negative effects of jet lag.

Dr. Michael Irwin, medical director for the United Nations, said Dulles later used his experience as an example to U.S. diplomats who might otherwise have been tempted to conduct important meetings immediately following long- haul jet travel.

Dr. Irwin, whose job it is to supervise the medical care of ambassadors, diplomats and United Nations staff, said the consequences of jet lag are so widespread a recent survey of 800 travelers found 94 percent of those jetting across three or more time zones suffered symptoms of jet lag. Forty-five percent were bothered severely, he said.

The survey, which polled travelers on United Airlines and British Airways long-distance flights one day last May, was targeted at those who had made at least two round trips of 5,000 miles each in east and west directions over the past two years.

''We wanted to learn how many people suffer jet lag, the types of distress experienced, which trips cause the most difficulties and how travelers cope,'' he said.

The survey revealed the magnitude of these problems depended, in part, on how far people were traveling and in which direction they traveled.

Jet-lag symptoms were more often severe for persons traveling eastward than westward.

The survey revealed 23 percent of people traveling from the U.S. East coast to Europe said they suffered severe jet-lag problems, while only 14 percent of those making the reverse trip complained.

Similarly, 39 percent of those traveling east from the Orient to California were impacted negatively, compared with 24 percent traveling west from California to the Orient.

Dr. Irwin said several research groups are studying the effects of bright light -- either sunlight or artificial light -- on the biological clock.

''The findings indicate that exposure to such light early in the morning of a subject's 'old' or internal time appears to advance the circadian rhythms the rhythms of the body functions that are associated with the 24-hour cycle of the Earth's rotation. This would help travelers adapt after a journey eastward.''

Irwin thinks exercising on arrival during these periods might also help combat jet lag.

These additional guidelines, he said, also may help some travelers:

Stay away from alcohol, and drink plenty of fluids in the air. Pressurized airplanes cause dehydration, which is aggravated with alcohol. Some researchers contend dehydration is a major cause of jet lag. Drink fruit juices and plenty of water.

Eat lightly and wisely. Special meals can be requested when you make your airline reservations. Dietary options vary per carrier, but most offer a choice of seafood, fruit, kosher, low-sodium, low-carbohydrate, diabetic, low- calorie, low-cholesterol or vegetarian plates.

Try to avoid severe sleep deficit. Get plenty of rest the evening prior to your departure. It also makes sense to plan your flight to arrive in the new location before bedtime and go to bed at the appropriate local time.

When travel requires a brief stay in a distant time zone, try, if possible, to stick to home time.

On excursions of more than a few days, it's usually best to adopt the new local time immediately upon your arrival.

Try to break up a very long flight, such as one to the Orient or Australia, with a one-day layover at an intermediate point.

If time or finances permit, give yourself a couple of days to adjust to a new time zone before undertaking an important work assignment or a rigorous touring schedule.

Spend some time outdoors to expose yourself to sunlight in the new time zone, as it may help readjust your circadian rhythms, researchers believe.

Use a short-acting sleep medication if you are unable to sleep a few nights upon arrival.